


Beatrice and the Beast

by PrincessToby



Category: X-Men (Comicverse), X-Men (Movieverse), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: Adoption, Aftermath of Violence, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Modern AU, Modern Era, Mutant OC, OC is a mutant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Past Violence, but her powers kind of stink?, comic and movie references
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-07
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-03-14 21:53:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13599138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrincessToby/pseuds/PrincessToby
Summary: Beatrice is a normal girl from a rather well-off background who is good with animals and loves books.Normal or so she thought.. All that was flipped upside down when she met Hank McCoy who changed her life for better or worse.--------Mutant!OC x Hank McCoy(though her powers aren't anything very useful or spectacular.)





	1. A Break in the Banal

**Author's Note:**

> Hello All! A little background for the story;
> 
> \- This story takes place in the modern times, so there will be modern tech as well as more futuristic tech that just goes along with the X-men.  
> \- Different points will be taken from the comic and movie universes, I like to do a mix as I think they provide for he best and most well rounded characters.  
> \- The timeline in this, though it is an AU, is sort of in between First Class and Future's Past but as if everything was sort of happy? Like there is Mutant/Human relation problems happening but as of now everything is going smoothly. The school is up and running, and sometimes there are missions to be had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reference for Hank : 
> 
> \- https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6d/6d/8c/6d6d8cc0ac7e6f61f3e9345d1a32a6e7.jpg  
> \- https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b0/3f/04/b03f040012815119c0dcb0a9b37bf726.jpg

Beatrice Brown, a perfectly normal young lady. She lives in a [small apartment](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/07/56/02/075602107051b793076b8a912f55acd6.jpg) in Brooklyn, working as a librarian. She likes things neat, she likes plants, and she likes soft colors. On the weekends she helps out at the shelter, taking care of the animals and helping them find homes. For some reason she seems to know exactly what they want, it’s like she can just hear what they want in her mind. Of course, she chalks this up to maternal instinct which she believes to be rather strong within her self after the way she was brought up so lovingly by her adoptive mothers. It wasn’t like the animals talked to her specifically or anything, she could just sort of tell different things they might like. If a new puppy came in, for example, and she spent time with it, she would hear things in her mind like “kids” or “running” and if they sounded happy she knew it was something they wanted and vice versa. It was helpful in getting the animals adopted that was for sure, especially since she could update the website with exactly the type of home the animals would flourish in.

This weekend was one where Beatrice wouldn’t be working however, as it was the one time a year she took a three day weekend. It was a special weekend for her as it was when she celebrated her “Gotcha Day”, or the anniversary of when she was adopted. For Beatrice, this day also functioned as her birthday. Was she adopted on her birthday? No, but due to the fact that there wasn’t an exact date on her birth certificate it was the date that her mothers had always used as her birthday as well. And it wasn’t a specific date, instead it was just the second weekend of March. Beatrice didn’t mind however since she got to take a three day weekend, which was especially fun while she was in school. Now that she was twenty-two it still hadn’t lost its charm, as three day weekends were still fun.

Beatrice looked at herself in the mirror, smoothing down her gentle, [copper-red curls](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/03/36/e6/0336e6a1ed8c655e8a4036fb0260f10c.jpg). She grabbed [a cap](https://img.etsystatic.com/il/7224de/1059674565/il_570xN.1059674565_dh7b.jpg) from its hook on the wall, gently sliding it onto her head. Her makeup was kept simple; a bit of rouge and highlighter on her freckled cheeks, and layers of mascara to make her emerald eyes pop. She was dressed in a comfortable, [green-check dress](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a2/2a/2c/a22a2cdb02e3d1563d7ebae24d49725c.jpg) and white converse, and she was ready to go. For the long weekend she would be going up to her childhood home in Scarsdale. The home had been left to her when her mothers moved to Florida, and though it was the same home it was quite different due to the updates and remodeling that had been done while she was in college. It was like a hotel, and while she loved it, it was about the size of one too. So Beatrice rented it out. All year it was available for parties, weddings, and as a vacation home. The income helped Beatrice live beyond the means of a librarian, and concentrate on charitable work since she didn’t have to do much with the house besides send emails. This weekend each year, well for the past three, was the only one the house was off the market for which allowed Beatrice to do as she pleased.

* * *

 

The drive took a few hours, but Beatrice loved the drive. There were so many trees once you got out of the city and she loved it. Her [vintage VW Beetle](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/246923992065350171/) was a great ride, and she always missed driving when she had been in Brooklyn for a long period of time.

Beatrice pulled into the drive way and grabbed a white cardigan from the passenger seat. A walk into town was what she wanted most and she decided that unpacking could wait. It was a good twenty minute walk into town (closer to 30 if you weren’t Beatrice who couldn’t help but walk fast), and the air was a bit cool. After securing her cardigan on with her favorite thing in the word, her [vintage sweater clips](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/38/05/fb/3805fb12d069581d0ce1a29eb2e82ba8.jpg), and slipping her [brown leather bag](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f4/3a/61/f43a61a9d9d4488c4c914cb59628be78.jpg) over her shoulder, she was off.

* * *

 

The coffee shop was brightly lit and smelled of fresh grounds with a hint of... chocolate? Definitely chocolate, and now Beatrice wanted some. She wandered up to the end of the line and peered into the clear glass case at all of the pastries. She hummed quietly as she browsed and before she knew it she was at the front of the line.

“I’ll have two of the double chocolate cookies please, and a medium mint tea... hot, thank you.” She smiled as she ordered, grabbing out her wallet and waiting for the barista to grab the cookies.

“That’s a nice set of clips...” It was quiet but Beatrice definitely heard it and it was definitely from the man standing behind her in line.

“Thank you!” She said, flashing the tall, [glasses clad man](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/31/8b/47/318b47322b2796aa9cef993466e997a5.jpg) behind her a smile as she took her change from the barista. What she didn’t see was the look of shock on the mans face when she walked away to wait for her drink, and what she also missed was the fact that the man hadn’t spoken at all. He had thought it, but not a word had left his mouth.

After receiving her drink, Beatrice took her drink outside to a little bench. She was happy, truly and simply happy. It wasn’t that she wasn’t a normally happy person, or that she didn’t like her life, but it was so nice to be relaxed and really have nothing to worry about. She had no plans until tonight around 8:00pm when her sister was arriving, so she really didn’t have to do much thinking of her own.

How apt it would be then, that someone else’s thoughts would filter into her mind.

“How did she know I liked her pin...? What is she, Charles? Ugh, Charles, I should call Charles. Wait- she’s right there. What is she can hear this too? Shit... if you can hear this... can you? If you can just.. respond?”

Beatrice could have sworn that the man from the line was standing right next to her with how clear his voice was but when she looked around he was nowhere to be found.

“I’m behind you...” His voice grumbled in her head. She spun around rather quickly only to find he was sitting on the other side of the glass. There was no way she should have been able to hear him so clearly.

“Hello.” He said softly, his mouth not moving but his voice clear as day.

She let out a little gasp before it all went black. Beatrice had fainted and now lay on the ground in a little bit of a crumble, tea and coffee all around.


	2. Bedlam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> References from the last chapter :
> 
> Hank :
> 
> \- https://i.pinimg.com/564x/6d/6d/8c/6d6d8cc0ac7e6f61f3e9345d1a32a6e7.jpg  
> \- https://i.pinimg.com/564x/b0/3f/04/b03f040012815119c0dcb0a9b37bf726.jpg  
> \- https://i.pinimg.com/564x/31/8b/47/318b47322b2796aa9cef993466e997a5.jpg
> 
> Beatrice :
> 
> \- https://img.etsystatic.com/il/7224de/1059674565/il_570xN.1059674565_dh7b.jpg  
> \- https://i.pinimg.com/564x/38/05/fb/3805fb12d069581d0ce1a29eb2e82ba8.jpg  
> \- https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a2/2a/2c/a22a2cdb02e3d1563d7ebae24d49725c.jpg  
> \- https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f4/3a/61/f43a61a9d9d4488c4c914cb59628be78.jpg

 

**“Hello.” He said softly, his mouth not moving but his voice clear as day.**

**She let out a little gasp before it all went black. Beatrice had fainted and now lay on the ground in a little bit of a crumble, tea and coffee all around.**

* * *

 

Beatrice’s eyes opened slowly. What a weird dream this had all been, she thought as she rubbed her eyes gently before taking a look at the ceiling above her. Her head hurt and when she reached up to touch it she found a rather large square of gauze taped there. It was odd, but she didn’t think much of it until she sat up to see an [unfamiliar room](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/26/7b/69/267b69ad4f5bf6de87b8043ed431573b.jpg) around her.

Sure the house had changed since she lived in it full time but this was not her house. Now that she thought of it, where were her sweater, shoes and purse? She looked around a bit before noticing a water bottle and note on the bedside table.

_You fell._   
_I’ll explain._   
_I’ll be in the hall._   
_-H_

The note was messy, like it had been rushed but it made Beatrice smile. Sure, she had no idea where she was and she should be scared but the fact that there was a note and a water and that she was clearly taken care of... how could she be scared of someone who would do that?

Beatrice took time to stand slowly, taking a sip of water after having completing said task. She quickly pulled her hair up into a [pony tail](https://www.koees.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/bfcd6fb7c0ec3cb03a068971ef04954a.jpg), grabbing the hair tie off of her wrist. She got quite the head-rush when she flipped over, sitting back down for a moment to collect herself. She got onto her feet much quicker again, taking the water and the note with her.

In the hallway was the man from the coffee shop. He was sitting there, coat somewhere else and sweater crumples in his lap, working on his computer. His glasses had slipped a bit down on his nose and he was deep in though. Beatrice stood before him for a moment before clearing his throat.

“Um... H?” She asked softly, waiting for him to look up at her.

“Ah um.. Hank.” He said, shuffling himself around to look up at her. “Dr. Hank McCoy to be exact but Hank is fine... are you feeling alright?” Hank brought himself to his feet, folding his computer and sweater under one of his arms. He adjusted his glasses as he looked down at her.

“My head hurts a bit and I’m sort of hungry...” Beatrice looked up at him for a moment before looking away and playing with her fingers. “Also, it’s a bit cold but I don’t seem to have my sweater...?” She knew she was babbling a bit, but this was a rather weird situation. Hank shifted before responding, holding his sweater out to her.

“Your sweater is in the wash, you sort of spilled tea on it.” He smiled softly as he handed the sweater to her. “It’ll be big but you’ll be warm until yours is all clean. Why don’t we go sit? We can talk about what happened, yeah?”

Beatrice nodded slowly. She took the sweater and tentatively pulled it over her head. She nodded in response to his question, following after him as he lead the way to a small, out of the way, [siting room](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ee/29/b8/ee29b86471b8c80869422376f94f98eb.jpg). He ushered her to sit on a little couch and sat down across from her.

“Well, would you like me to just explain what happened?” Hank asked, putting his computer down on the coffee table. Beatrice nodded her head again, watching his movement. “You’ll just have to tell me what you remember alright? And I can take it from there.” Hank had a soft smile on his face as he spoke, his voice was gentle and kind which helped put Beatrice at ease.

"Well," Beatrice played with the sleeves of Hank's sweater as she thought. "Well, I remember you. When you complimented my sweater clips, that is... And then I remember sitting down to eat my cookies." Her stomach grumbled in response, rather hungry now that she hadn't eaten in some time. "And then I just remember waking up here." She nodded softly, looking back up at him.

"Well... Let's see," Hank pursed his lips as he thought, running a hand through his hair. "I suppose I should start with why you're here.. You sort of passed out?" He offered up a soft smile, trying to break the news a bit easier. "You hit your head, and the whole thing was sort of my fault so I couldn't just leave you there..." Hank found himself rambling a bit but was brought back into the moment when he noticed Beatrice shift uncomfortably in her seat. "Oh! No, it's not like that... We were talking and... Beatrice, right?" She nodded her head, watching him carefully. "Sorry... I may have looked at your ID... But anyway, Beatrice, you and I were talking but not out loud and I have a feeling that it was the first time you've done that with someone. Am I right?"

Beatrice took quite some time to gather herself before she spoke again.

"We spoke... not out loud?" Beatrice's voice shook gently as she looked into his eyes. Her expression changed from one of fear to one of shock as she caught on to what he was saying. "Oh no... I'm not.. not that it's bad but... I'm not one of those mutants or anything... Well not those mutants... I just..." She babbled on, trying to cover her words. She didn't want him to think she was racist or anything, she definitely didn't agree with the people who thought mutants and regular humans should be segregated, she just definitely didn't have anything special about her like that.

Thankfully for her, Hank found her babbling rather endearing and couldn't help but laugh gently. "Beatrice, you could hear what I was saying in my head. Normally that doesn't happen, unless I could project into your mind which I cannot."

"So... I can hear thoughts then..?" Beatrice tried to think of their interaction at the coffee shop. "Oh my gosh... I could hear you so clearly but you were inside and I was outside." Hank nodded his head.

"When you noticed that the first time, you passed out." Hank noted. "Now, I don't know too much about telepathy but I do know someone who does. Would you like to meet him Beatrice? I think it could help you understand everything that happened."

"Yes..?" Beatrice's answer was more of a question. "But, can it wait? I mean I don't even know what time it is-" She was cut off by Hank telling her that it was around 8:30. "Crap..!" She gasped out, covering her mouth. "I'm sorry, I just.. Do you know where my purse is? I need my phone, my sister is probably freaking out." Hank nodded his head and got up to retrieve her small bag.

* * *

 

When Beatrice opened her phone she was met with about 20 different text messages and a few less that happy voicemails from her sister. She groaned loudly and sat back in the chair, trying to manage a text reply that would save her some grief. Her fingers fluttered over the keys, tapping quickly as she wrote out a lengthy apology that said she would be home soon to explain. Hank watched her carefully, smiling to himself. Beatrice noticed this as she went to put her phone back in the bag, giving him a bit of a sideways glance.

"Sorry for staring, I'm just always amazed when people can type so fast. I've just got big fingers I guess, I've never been any good at using a phone." Hank offered up a genuine smile before standing. "Your clips are in your bag and your shoes are by the door, and you can borrow the sweater for now as I'm afraid yours won't be dry for a while and you seem to need to leave." He offered his hand to her to help her stand, smiling a bit wider as she accepted. "I'll drive you, if that's alright, and I put together some more gauze and such so you could replace your bandage later tonight and in the morning."

"Oh, you don't need to... well to do any of that. I can just walk, and the gauze well, that's what the drug store is for, isn't it?" Beatrice smiled as she looked at him. "The sweater though, I may have to borrow. It's probably colder than it was before." Hank shook his head with a smile.

"Take it, we have plenty of gauze and such lying around." He smiled as he looked down at her in his far too big sweater. "And you can walk if you want, but you don't know where you are and it's dark. You could get lost just on the property." Beatrice bit her lip gently before nodding.

"Alright, alright... thank you." She smiled wide up at him. With that, Hank lead Beatrice out though the maze of a house. Beatrice tried to take note of where they were going but goodness... this house was huge. There were so many bedrooms! Her mothers' house had five and she thought that was a rather high number, but this was like a dormitory or something. She followed Hank quietly, lost in her own thoughts until the cool air hit her and she realized they were outside.

Sitting in the circular curve at the top of the driveway was a black, [1970s Dodge Charger](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/48/50/a5/4850a538072dcc1f37ce96d828be8479.jpg) that looked like it was brand-new. Beatrice's eyes lit-up as she stopped where she was and stared. Before Hank even realized she wasn't following him he had gotten to the passenger side door. He opened it up and looked over at her with a grin.

"You like it, I take it?" He asked her, watching as she slowly walked over to his side. She was focused on the car and not him, but he found that particularly endearing. She let her hand run over the frame of the door.

"I've got a 74' beetle myself." Beatrice's smile was now directed up at Hank. "My mom loves vintage cars and I guess it sort of rubbed off on me." She let out a bit of a giggle before sliding into the car. Hank closed the door behind her and was soon sliding into the driver's side. "She's in great shape though, you must really take care of her." She commented, running her hand over the dash. Hank beamed proudly at this.

"I am a bit of an engineer so that definitely helps with the upkeep. Plus it's a rather relaxing way to escape work sometimes, to just come out here and work on my car." Hank started the car and they were soon making their way down the long driveway.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

The drive was filled with small talk, mostly about their cars and a bit about the change in seasons. It was perfectly pleasant and rather relaxing. Soon they were pulled up in front of the house, Beatrice's car in the driveway first with her sister's black Range Rover pulled in behind. Beatrice let out an audible sigh, looking up at the house.

"Are you alright?" Hank asked, looking over at the house over Beatrice's shoulder.

"I know she's going to yell at me." Beatrice shrugged softly. "It's alright, she's just protective and speaking of which, I told her that I ran into someone from high school just so you know and said that you had to care of me after I fainted." Hank smiled warmly.

"You're welcome, but I don't think you need to thank me much since I made you pass out in the first place." They laughed softly at this, and Beatrice got ready to leave. "Ah.. before you go..." Hank started before pulling a piece of folded paper out of his pocket and holding it out to her. "In case you do want to talk more about what happened, just give me a text." Beatrice nodded as she tucked it away in her purse.

"Thank you again." She smiled wide and stepped out of the car. She waved as he pulled away, dreading turning around.

* * *

Beatrice was met by her sister at the front door, sliding into the house past her glare. The other girl was obviously upset by Beatrice's lack of communication as she closed the door behind them both, crossing her arms over her chest and leaning back on it.

"Hi, Lottie." Beatrice offered up a small smile as she looked at her sister. Lottie Lane was Beatrice's older sister by adoption, and she was five years older. When standing next to one another the only similarity, save for their mannerisms, was the fact that they were both rather short. Lottie had [long, jet black hair](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f6/50/3d/f6503ddf030cb74cf251495cf978044a.jpg), dark brown eyes and tan skin. She was almost always in heels and cared much more about fashion than her sister, except for right now when she was dressed in a [comfy pj set](https://www.soma.com/Product_Images/570218335ext1_large.jpg) and [pink fuzzy slippers](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/29/bd/f7/29bdf7bd53fa9c2beba9692464e2251a.jpg). While the house belonged to Beatrice now, Lottie ran the family business, a confectionary company that was passed through the generations.

"Bee! You had me scared out of my mind! Do you know how scary it was to come home and see your car and have you be nowhere near it? And you didn't even have your phone on! And then you come home with some guy! What the heck, Bee?" Lottie was out of breath by time she had finished with her miniature rant, and just stood there then staring at Beatrice. Beatrice took a deep breath before pulling Lottie into a hug.

"I'm sorry, Lottie. You know that I love you, and I just lost track of time, okay?" She smiled as she looked up a her sister. "Forgive me?" She asked, flashing big puppy-dog eyes. Lottie sighed deeply before nodding and hugging back.

"Go put on your pajamas so I can give you part of your birthday present..." Lottie grumbled, trying to fight back her smile. They had never stayed mad at one another for a long time, not even when they were little.

* * *

After about ten minutes, Beatrice was back downstairs and sitting at the [kitchen](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/246923992064988097/) counter. She had changed into her [pajamas](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ca/f6/e8/caf6e835f94d8243618733701432b0e4.jpg) by now, and her socked feet swung under the counter. Lottie was scurrying around in the dining room, behind Beatrice's back.

Suddenly the lights went out, and Lottie started to sing "Happy Birthday" as she carried a [brightly-colored cake](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f3/ca/34/f3ca342939f8875d83a8900d1595ee81.jpg) in her arms. Beatrice smiled wide, looking between her sister and the cake. When Lottie finished, Beatrice blew out the candle with a big smile.

"The macaroons from Pierre's?" Beatrice asked, plucking one off the top before savoring a big bite. Lottie nodded her head.

"I had him make all of your favorites and then I shipped it here with me on the plane. Pretty great Big Sis, huh?" Lottie laughed to herself as she went to get a knife and serve the cake.

"Best one, I've got!" Beatrice teased, sticking her tongue out at her sister.

* * *

With a belly full of cake, and worn out from all the giggles, the girls collapsed onto the couch together.

"Alright Bee-bee, you've got to tell me why you have that ridiculous bandage on your head and who that guy was." Lottie raised an eyebrow as she looked over at her sister. Beatrice nodded her head and lied down across the couch with her head in Lottie's lap.

"Remember when mom told us how she and ma picked our names?" Beatrice asked, peering up at her sister.

"They liked things that rhymed because they sounded like a superhero's secret identity." Lottie hummed in response, playing with Beatrice's orange hair.

"Yeah well, I'm clearly not a superhero because I fell down today and hit my head and got this." The girls burst out into laughter, shaking their heads. "And that guy is someone from high school who offered to help me get cleaned up. Does that suffice as an answer?" Beatrice asked, giving her sister a bit of a side eye.

"Yes yes, I suppose." Lottie stuck her tongue out at her sister before pulling her into a deep hug.


	4. Chapter 4

At some point in the night, the girls had made it to their respective rooms. Beatrice didn't wake up until 10 am, which was a bit later than she normally ever let herself sleep. She stretched her body and let out a happy sigh, feeling her shoulders let out a satisfying pop. She glanced over to her side-table and scooped up her phone and the piece of paper lying next to it.

Upon powering her phone on, she noticed a text from Lottie saying that she wouldn't be home until later since she was seeing a few friends. That meant it was in fact, the perfect time to message the number on the paper in her hand. Beatrice smiled at the note, which had a smiley face wearing glasses next to the number. She took a deep breath and dove into the text.

 _Hello, Hank._ She started to type and then deleted it. "Too formal." She said aloud to herself.

 _Hiya, Hank!_ She deleted it again. "Too casual." She groaned.

_Hi, Hank._

Perfect.

_It's me, Beatrice, from yesterday. I figured we could talk?_

She stood up as soon as she finished the text and was about to get dressed when her phone chimed with a notification. She scooped up her phone and looked at it, opening the text.

_Good morning, Beatrice! I would be more than happy to talk. Do you mind if I call you?_

Beatrice texted back a quick, Sure thing., and sat back on the bed. In no time her phone was ringing, Lonely Boy by the Black Keys playing softly. She answered it after letting it go for just a bit, she didn't want to seem too desperate.

"Hello?" She bit her lip softly, playing with the piece of paper with Hank's number on it.

"Hello! Sorry for suggesting a call, it's just easier to explain things with words and I was about to take a work break anyway... How's your head?" He asked, stopping himself from rambling.

"It doesn't hurt.. I actually didn't even think of it until you said that." Beatrice let out a bit of a laugh, standing to go to her mirror.

"Well that's good... Say, I was wondering if you would be able to come by for lunch? My friend, Charles, the one I mentioned yesterday would love to talk to you. We might be able to figure something out about what happened."

Beatrice thought for a moment, humming gently. "Sure, I don't see why not. Plus we have to swap sweaters anyway."

"Perfect! I'll message you the address, is 12:30 good?"

"I'll see you then."

* * *

 

Lunch at 12:30 meant Beatrice had time to shower, re-bandage her forehead, and look presentable. She had pulled her hair into a neat[ braid ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/a4/98/a6/a498a616e9b69117fbb61b0a2be04bad.jpg)so she wouldn't have to worry about it, and pulled on a [dress with a long cardigan.](https://www.polyvore.com/hints_fall/set?.embedder=13853105&.src=share_html&.svc=pinterest&id=99850187) Looking in the mirror twice, she slipped into a pair of low booties and decided it was alright. After all, this wasn't a date but she did want to look nice since she was meeting someone new.

After stuffing Hank's sweater into her bag and plugging the address into her GPS she was ready to go. It wasn't too long of a drive, but now that it was light out Beatrice knew what Hank had meant about getting lost on the grounds. The[ driveway ](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/08/65/40/08654058ca3a2bbbfb28e63a7f301ea0.jpg)alone was big enough for seven or eight cars. It was much more intimidating now that she was there of her own accord.

Beatrice pulled up near the door and took a deep breath. She fixed her hair in the mirror and threw on a little lipgloss before climbing out of the car. She fixed a big smile on her face as she made her way up to the door, preparing to knock. Instead the door was opened, a smiling Hank behind it. Beatrice let out a little gasp, blushing gently as she caught her self.

"Oh..! Hank! How did... did we," She started, her voice dropping to a whisper as she continued to speak. "Talk with our minds again...?"

Hank couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head softly. "I saw you pull up. I was sitting by a window." Beatrice's blush grew but she couldn't help but laugh. "Come on in." He said, moving out of the way for her. He was [dressed casually](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/f6/90/df/f690df0d8b6c53ec486a58c1e8a99dea.jpg) for himself, though he still had a tie on as he often did. Beatrice grabbed his sweater out of her bag as she stepped inside, handing it over to him.

"Thank you for that, again, and for having me." She was able to calm her fluster now, offering up a gentle smile. Hank took the sweater and returned the smile, leading her into the house.

"Not a problem. By the way, it'll be a moment or two before Charles joins us. He's finishing some business... Would you like a tour maybe?" Hank asked, stopping her as they made their way to the middle of the foyer.

"Sure." Beatrice nodded, looking around a bit. "This place is huge... Is it all yours?"

"Nope! In fact, I don't own the house at all. It's Charles' family's home, and currently it is a school where I am sort of a teacher? I also just use the facilities to do my own research.." Hank stopped himself, looking at Beatrice. "Sorry, that was a lot of information wasn't it?" He asked with a bit of a chuckle. Beatrice returned the laugh, nodding her head.

"So.. it's a school and you do some sort of research? You said you were a doctor yesterday, right?"

"Right! Actually, I've got a few doctorates, so I'm sort of a doctor a few times over." Hank blushed gently as he spoke about himself.

"That's amazing!" Beatrice gushed truthfully, staring up at him. "I went to grad school, I'm a librarian." She shrugged her shoulders.

"That sounds lovely, I'm quite the bookworm myself." Hank couldn't help but smile at her reaction. "Come on then, let me show you around. The kids should be training out back with Logan so things will be pretty quiet."

"Training?" Beatrice asked tentatively, that seemed a bit harsh of a word to use.

"Ah yes... We'll get to that." Hank assured her, leading her down one of the hallways. "The school is... special."

* * *

Hank showed Beatrice around for a bit, ending up in the [library](https://i.pinimg.com/564x/ee/29/b8/ee29b86471b8c80869422376f94f98eb.jpg). Beatrice hummed happily as she looked around, spinning in a little circle.

"I can't believe you get to live somewhere with a library like this.. My apartment has three over stuffed bookshelves, and the bookshelves in my parent's place are filled with knickknacks instead." She was so happy, just running her fingers over the spines of various books. Hank was about to reply, but was cut off.

"You can borrow anything you'd like." Charles' voice boomed, but when Beatrice turned around he was no where to be seen. Hank noticed how uncomfortable Beatrice was since she couldn't locate him.

"Ah, he's doing the whole... talking without speaking aloud thing we discussed." Hank explained.

"Oh..." Beatrice nodded slowly. "Right..."

"I apologize for that, I forget people aren't used to it." Charles stated apologetically, entering the room with a soft smile. "I'm Charles Xavier, welcome to my school for mutants, Miss Brown." He reached out his hand to shake hers, then leading her and Hank over to a set of chairs. Beatrice sat, looking wide-eyed at Hank as he offered a simple shrug as if to say "I told you it was a special school."

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it! 
> 
> Please leave any feedback you have, as I am always open to it! 
> 
> Updates will happen on a bit of an irregular schedule as I am a student completing their thesis and I am writing multiple stories at once because that is how my mind works!! <3


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